Many email marketers frequently fail to realize that their subscribers email application preview pane is the first opportunity their content has to attract the attention they require. And unfortunately those that dont allow for a snapshot preview in their content design fall victim to lower than expected open rates as their subscribers are less likely to open the message in full.
Here are four simple steps you can to take to ensure your next email message preview pane design gets all the attention it should:
First, be aware that prior to Outlook 2003, the preview your subscriber sees runs horizontally along the foot of their screen. In Outlook 2003, this view is a vertical slice showing the left hand side of your content.
As a tip take a blank sheet of paper and then reveal the top third of your next message and then the left third. Does what you see in both instances seem interesting enough to entice your subscribers to click on?
Second, by allowing for the thinnest of newsletter mastheads, you should cram into these viewable snippets as much content as you can. Plus, if this content tells your subscriber exactly what your message contains, then...